Paramedic (Certificate)

For program informationJames Dinsch, Assistant Professor(772) 462-7531 or 1-866-792-4772jdinsch@irsc.edu

Be a Paramedic

Paramedic is the highest general level certification for the EMS profession. The Paramedic Program is a full-time, 42-credit program spanning 3 semesters. The program prepares competent, entry-level paramedics in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains. The program meets the requirements set forth in the National EMS Education Standards aligning with Florida statutes and administrative code through a minimum of 1,200 hours of classroom, skills laboratory, clinical rotations, and field internship courses.

Students build on EMT knowledge and learn advanced life support skills such as ECG interpretation, medication administration, and surgical airways needed to assess and comprehensively manage a diverse population of medical and trauma patients. They also learn the skills necessary to lead patient care activities in a tiered prehospital system, work with other professionals in multidisciplinary healthcare settings, and participate in community service projects.

Graduates of the program are eligible to take the State of Florida paramedic certification exam, and those that pass will be eligible to apply for licensure with the State of Florida. Graduates are also eligible to take the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians' (NREMT) paramedic certification exam, and those that pass will be awarded the Nationally Registered Paramedic credential that is required for licensure in several other states.

Accreditation

The Indian River State College EMS Program is accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).